less than a penny the pounde," Harvey wrote in 1630, "and
have not shamed to make the planters pay twelve pounds Sterlinge the
tunn freight home."[4-41] Two years later he complained that a certain
Captain Tucker had just sailed leaving his stores well stocked with
goods, but with "instructions to his factors not to sell but at most
excessive rates."[4-42] In 1628, the Governor, Council and Burgesses, in
a petition to the King, declared that for years they had "groaned under
the oppression of unconscionable and cruel merchants by the excessive
rates of their commodities."[4-43] Six years later Governor Harvey
stated that all things which "come hither" are sold at "thrice the value
they cost in England."[4-44]

It is obvious, however, that after all expenses had been paid, a goodly
margin of profit was left, a margin perhaps averaging some three or four
pounds sterling. The provident and industrious immigrant, a few years
after the conclusion of his term, might well lay aside enough to make it
possible for him in turn to secure a servant from England. This
accomplished, he at once rose into the class of employers and his future
advance was limited only by his capabilities and his ambition.

We would naturally expect to find, then, that during these years a large
percentage of those who came to the colony under terms of indenture,
sooner or later acquired land, perhaps bought servants, and became
persons of some standing in the colony. Certainly the opportunity was
theirs. It will be interesting therefore to study the early records in
order to glean what evidence we may concerning this matter. If the
servants graduated in any appreciable numbers into the planter class,
the patents, wills, inventories, land transfers and muster rolls could
hardly fail to yield some evidence of the fact.

Turning first to the earliest period, we find that of the laborers who
were imported by the London Company to cultivate the public lands, a
fair proportion became proprietors and were regarded by later comers
with especial esteem as "ancient planters." At the termination of their
service they were granted 100 acres and when this was fully cultivated
received another tract of the same extent. To the apprentices bound out
to tenants even more liberal treatment was accorded, for they were
provided with a year's store of corn, a house, a cow, clothing, armor,
household utensils, farm tools and as much land as they could
till.[4-45]

The gu